The original singles release, two sides of awesome.
While wandering today with Will, I heard a 16 year old remake of a song that is - dear God - 45 years old. It was The Specials, an English ska band known for high-energy tunes blazing with horns. This song was on their album of remakes entitled "Today's Specials." Since I was not big on the ska scene, this song has floated completely out of my radar until today - thank you WYCE.
What's to like? The Specials infused the melody with an infectious joy and certain dance ability missing from the original. The sound was so fresh, that I was under the impression it was a brand new song. I Shazamed it, and have spent half the bloody day attempting to download it somewhere, settling for listening to it a couple of times on YouTube. It even influenced what I made for dinner, a very summery choice of cold tuna salad.
Check it out:
The Specials - ALBM, ALBY
That's not to say I don't love the original. In the series, it was in the episode "Monkees at the Movies" featuring idol Bobby Sherman (the 1967 answer to Justin Beiber). It's sweet, lighthearted, a fun romp with test b-roll footage of the Monkees frolicking on the beach in an attempt to anger the tempermental movie star. I adored it.
Unfortunately, this is one of the more controversial songs in the Monkee catalog. It is a Davy Jones solo effort, forced by the hand of producer Don Kirschner. It was at this time that the band was fighting for more creative control, and Kirschner fought back by dividing/conquering. No other Monkee performs on the single; Neil Diamond, the songwriter sings backup, and Kirschner provides the handclaps.
Bad feelings aside, this is one catchy tune, even today.
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You - The Monkees
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